By Nancy
I have two children and I have been lucky enough to have had wonderful child care for both of them, in the form of nannys and centers. For the past five years, one or both of my children have attended a fantastic center that defies the usual problems that centers encounter.
It has a stable, experienced staff of caring teachers. It has low ratios and offers gymnastics, swimming lessons and music appreciation. It's an older facility. So it has large playgrounds and big classrooms ... good for exercise in the winter months when it's too cold to spend much time outdoors. For all of this they have received national recognition, grants and we pay a very high tuition.
The center has been owned by various companies over the years, some child care companies, some not. It was recently purchased by Knowlege Learning, the company that owns Leapfrog. They make great toys. But it looks like they're more interested in running McDaycare centers than delivering a high-quality child care experience that might be associated with their toy brand.
The company has instituted a new policy that decreases the child care credit given to employees who have children enrolled in the school. As a result, a teacher and curriculum coordinator with 14 years at the school, a college degree and a reputation for being a potty training wizard can't afford to work there any longer. She resigned last month.
Other long-term teachers are questioning what they will do when they get pregnant. I have registered my objections with the regional VP, COO and CEO of the company. I just paid a huge tuition increase. Where's the money going, if not to retain great teachers?
But I think the problem is larger than this corporation. I think it reflects a society that does not support working mothers. In America, high-quality child care is not accessible to the very people who provide it, and others who have chosen important fields that are less lucrative than some but make a very large contribution to our communities. Is it because most Americans believe that mothers should not work, even though most mothers do work outside the home? I hope this is something we can change before my daughters are mothers.
Comments